


that merry wanderer of the night

by taykash



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Fairies, M/M, Midsummer Night's Dream
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-21
Updated: 2016-10-21
Packaged: 2018-08-23 18:04:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8337505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taykash/pseuds/taykash
Summary: Jun sends Nino to do his dirty work for him, and manages to get three boys for his troubles.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Nino's birthday, 2012.

There are things in the forest, you know. In the heart of every fairy tale is a grain of truth, like a drop of dew in the center of a rose. Some tales just have more truth than others.

The tales of the trickster fairy, Nino? Those are all more truth than fiction.

Nino is _technically_ under the rule of Fairy King Sho, but in reality, Nino answers only to his own whims.

Nino's pockets are full of glittery fairy dust that distracts from the mischievous gleam in his eye. His wings are yellow dragonfly wings shot through with silver in delicate filigree curlicues. He hates them a little; they're stubbier than he thinks should be, but they serve their purpose well enough.

Nino isn't the usual type of fairy who flits from flower to flower pollinating with the bees; no one knows how, but the rumors are that he either tricked King Sho or sweet-talked Queen Jun into giving him such a high position. Some people think it's both. Nino is still ordered around by the royals, but he gets asked to carry out tasks of great importance that require diplomacy and tact.

"Nino, I need you to help me," Queen Jun urges Nino one day, his lips pursed with displeasure. He picks up the brush sitting on his dresser and begins to brush his hair as he speaks. "Sho and I are fighting."

"I don't really want to be involved in your perverse acts of seduction again," Nino groans, covering his eyes with one hand. "That tiger really didn't like me filing down its claw just so it could ‘enhance your performance’."

"No, it's nothing like that. I need _revenge_." Jun grins, showing eyeteeth, and Nino shudders. Jun is _scary_ when he's evil.

"Well, that I can help with, I guess," Nino replies lazily, pulling a marble out of his pocket and rolling it between his fingers. "Sneezing powder in his bed of roses? Wasp in his daffodils? Do you want me to trick him into standing atop a sunflower until he cries?"

Jun laughs, but shakes his head. "You know your famous love potion?"

"Of course I know it. I made it, didn't I?"

Jun flicks a thin vine at Nino's shin, making him yelp. "There are a few men rehearsing a play in that big field where the ruins are. Take the prettiest one and give him an ass's head, so then when Sho falls in love with him they'll match."

"That's all? Jun, you're getting soft." Nino bats his eyelashes at the queen. Jun eyes himself critically in the looking-glass fashioned from honeycomb filled with crystallized dew, then snaps his fingers. His gently curled hair turns a light brown, and he smiles, satisfied.

"It's revenge _and_ a distraction. While he's busy, I can get what I want and that'll be the end of it."

"Do I even want to know what you're fighting about?" Nino tosses the marble into the air, where it doubles into two marbles, floating back down gently into his outstretched hand.

Jun shrugs. "He won't give me the Ohno boy."

Nino laughs out loud; Ohno is new to the forest, and spends his days sleeping in a bed of pollen so thick it sticks to his wings when he finally wakes up. It figures Jun wants him – Jun likes the soft, pliant ones best. "Of course, your Majesty."

"Don't patronize me. Get to work or I'll whip you again," Jun threatens, brandishing the vine. Nino shrugs his shoulders and tosses the marbles to the ground, where they bloom into daisies.

"Fine. Enjoy waiting," Nino calls over his shoulder before climbing a nearby tulip and using its tall, gently swaying leaves as a takeoff point into the sky.

The men are loud and boisterous, the majority of them wearing tank tops and baggy overalls tucked into work boots. Nino winces as he watches them stomp around the field as they yell out their lines, unknowingly ejecting insects and particularly lazy fairies from their naps between stalks of grass.

Nino grins as Ohno settles down next to him on the bright yellow head of a dandelion, the darker fairy still mostly asleep. "Aren't you supposed to be out causing trouble?" Nino asks as Ohno leans against his shoulder, Ohno's wings gently fluttering shut against his back.

"What trouble?" Ohno speaks into Nino's shirt, his voice trailing off.

Nino lets him stay there, watching the humans clumsily run through a terrible script. None of them seem particularly smart. Nino snorts as they mispronounce words, the lyrical language unfamiliar on their tongues. Ohno snores gently, still leaning on Nino, and Nino tilts his head so it rests on Ohno's.

One of the men stands out in particular. He's one of the taller ones, but Nino can take care of that. Nino knows, though, by his hoarse laugh that sounds like he's not getting enough air, that Sho would like him even without a love potion.

The sky is fading into grey, blue and pink still tingeing the clouds. The actors take a break from their hard work and one by one fall asleep in the grass, curled up into themselves against the evening chill like snails. Nino reluctantly detangles himself from Ohno, though Nino can tell from his breathing that he's awake.

"Why didn't you go home?" Nino asks as he stretches his arms over his head, his wings opening and closing slowly to wake his body up. He didn’t mean to sleep, but Ohno’s presence was warm and soothing. 

"Nino was warm," Ohno hums, rubbing circles on his thighs. "I didn't want to move."

Nino smiles and twines his arm through Ohno's. "You're in for a show." He leans over to gently press a kiss to Ohno's cheek, then lets go and slides down the stem of the flower.

Ohno watches silently from his perch, clutching a dandelion petal in his right hand.

Nino is invisible for a few long moments, his movement through the grass so quiet Ohno isn't sure where he is. But suddenly, Nino hops onto one of the men's shoulders, his hands in fists over his stomach.

Ohno watches him dance.

Nino jumps onto the man's jaw – Ohno expects a reaction from him, but nothing comes. Nino pirouettes across his cheek, so light his feet barely make dents in the soft skin. Dust is cascading from his fingertips, glittering through the air. Ohno has heard of Nino's work, of how it is all too easy for him to get people to do what he wants, but he's never seen Nino in action before. The way Nino's body moves sends ripples through Ohno and he wishes he were dancing with Nino instead of sitting alone on this flower.

Then suddenly, it's over. Nino shuffles back to Ohno through the grass, and Ohno clutches at Nino, clings to him. Nino doesn't seem to mind, wrapping his arm around Ohno's waist. "He'll wake up our size," Nino whispers in Ohno's ear, "and then I'll give him to the king."

"A present?" Ohno lets Nino lock their fingers together.

Nino laughs, and Ohno feels warm. "Revenge can be a gift," Nino says, and Ohno isn't sure what he means, but he stays curled up against Nino anyway.

\-----

Aiba wakes up far less comfortable than he had been when he fell asleep. It's dark out now, and cold, and he shivers as he gets to his feet.

It takes him a moment to realize through the fog of sleep, but the forest has changed. Everything is taller now, grass obscuring his view and the fireflies streaking through the air look the size of ponies.

Aiba climbs onto a rock and looks around the massive forest. His friends are gone; there are dents in the grass from where they had slept, but from Aiba’s vantage point it’s just a wave in the sea surrounding him.

He sits, cross-legged on the rock, and wonders what to do.

"You're rather calm," a voice by his ear whispers and Aiba nearly falls off the rock in surprise.

"I figured it was something like you," Aiba says, his eyes focusing on the glitter of the wings on the fairy's back. "It's the forest."

"You're right, it is the forest," Nino smiles and takes Aiba's hand. "I'll take you where you're supposed to be."

Aiba smiles and Nino feels a sudden pang at having to give him to Sho – Aiba reminds him of the fireflies they’re surrounded by, bright and glowing even in complete darkness.

“I’m Aiba,” he says, and Nino squeezes Aiba's hand. “I’m Nino,” and he leans in to kiss Aiba’s cheek. 

Aiba’s eyes widen, his fingertips resting on the spot Nino kissed. It’s warm against his fingers, and he can feel it pulse.

“Protection,” Nino whispers, gesturing to the dark, looming forest. “Better safe than sorry.”

Aiba’s heart blooms with gratitude and he kisses Nino’s cheek, too. “Thank you.”

\-----

When Nino hands Aiba over to Jun, Jun drapes an arm around Aiba’s waist and Nino’s eyes narrow almost imperceptibly.

“Your ass, my queen,” Nino says, voice shot through with sarcasm, and Aiba pouts, full bottom lip poking out. “Your _ears_ ,” Nino sighs. Aiba grins and twitches them in response. It had taken him a little while to realize it wasn’t just his size that changed, but when he discovered the donkey ears extending from the sides of his head, he had exclaimed “cool!” and spent far longer than Nino would have liked playing with them.

“Good work,” Jun replies, and Nino has to turn away when Jun nuzzles Aiba’s neck. Aiba’s eyes are wide but he is quiet, hands curled into loose fists at his side.

“Are you sure you want to give him to the king when you could just keep him as your own?” Nino has his arms crossed around his chest and he is looking away from the pair, at the miniature violets studding the tapestry of vines draped on the wall.

“That’s a good point,” Jun hums, and Nino doesn’t have to look to know that he’s running his fingers up and down Aiba’s arms. Nino knows Jun well enough to predict his movements around toys – usually Nino doesn’t mind or care, but Aiba (and Ohno, for that matter) is different.

Nino doesn’t want to think about why that is.

“I’d keep them both for myself if Sho wouldn’t raise a fuss about it,” Jun clicks his tongue and reluctantly lets go of Aiba. Aiba shivers a little at the loss of contact, his right arm coming up to hook onto his left arm still hanging loosely at his side.

“Oh, well. Ohno will only be for a little while anyway, probably.” Taking advantage of Nino’s uncharacteristic distraction, Jun wraps an arm around his shoulders and presses himself against Nino’s back. Nino jumps, startled, then makes a face of irritation that makes Aiba stifle giggles.

“I was never involved in this except for in arranging things for you,” Nino complains, though he grasps Jun’s arm with his right hand.

“You could be if you wanted to be,” Jun whispers, breath hot against Nino’s ear. Nino stiffens, then reluctantly, _so reluctantly_ , pulls Jun’s arm away from him.

“I’ll go get Sho,” Nino says and leaves without looking back at Aiba at all.

\-----

Sho, as expected, takes to Aiba immediately even without the potion. Nino hasn’t done anything and Sho already has Aiba’s ears in his hands, rubbing them gently, a stupid grin on his face. Aiba is babbling away excitedly about some experiment he did in his village, something involving mortar and flour and “it didn’t work but the mess was really fun to play in.” Sho is murmuring something soft in reply but Nino can’t hear it, and frankly, doesn’t really want to.

Nino wonders if he should even bother with the love potion at all.

He knows that in another part of the palace, Jun is doing heaven-knows-what to Ohno, and the thought makes Nino more annoyed than he expected to be.

Nino isn’t stupid; he has purposely kept a good portion of his powers secret, even from the monarchs. He knows he could easily set a plan into motion that would extract both Aiba and Ohno from the queen’s perfectly manicured clutches, but he risks losing his place both in fairy hierarchy and his home in the forest. Jun was not one for forgiveness.

Nino watches Aiba pointing out the multiple scars mapping his body, seemingly unaware of Sho’s enraptured expression, and makes a decision.

\-----

If Jun wanted a switch, Nino would give him a switch.

It takes him a little longer than he had expected it to; the butterflies were more skittish than usual, aware of Nino’s power, but he manages to coax a butterfly to land on the colorful tiger lily he was patiently sitting on.

A few whispered words and a twist of his wrists and the butterfly became a confused, naked boy with blond hair and a wide mouth. Nino notes with approval the mole in the center of his throat. “You’ll do,” he says appreciatively and takes the boy’s hand. He names him Hiroki, and they make their way towards the palace.

The palace is large enough that he can tuck Hiroki away in a spacious bedroom with orders that he is not to be disturbed by anyone except Jun. Nino writes a message in beautiful cursive that hangs shimmering in the air in front of the door: To Jun-pon, a present.

When he peeks into Sho’s quarters, he nearly groans aloud at the sight. Aiba and Sho are painting side by side, and even from his vantage point from behind the duo, he can tell that Sho’s daisy is practically cubist.

He had dreaded this. Nino knew from experience that it is much easier to extract Sho from a plaything in the middle of a romp than when Sho is enjoying his company as a companion.

Nino waits.

Nino has almost finished planting a vegetable garden in the floor of the palace using his marbles by the time Sho is finally summoned away from the room, but Nino hides and watches Sho kiss Aiba on the cheek before he steps out. 

“Right, time to go,” Nino walks in the moment Sho disappears into another room, startling Aiba so that he drops his paintbrush onto the floor.

“Time to go?” Aiba asks, a little uneasily.

“You have to go back to being human eventually, don’t you?” Nino hopes Aiba is being obtuse on purpose.

“Oh.” Aiba looks at his painting, then at Sho’s. Nino sighs hard. This is an unnecessary complication.

“Well, I don’t really have much to go home to,” Aiba admits, and he absently rubs his drooping ear, already a nervous habit from what Nino can see of the tamped-down fur. “If I stay here I have more, plus Sho and Jun are really great, so…”

Nino covers his face with one hand. “Sho and Jun,” Nino says patiently, “are really fickle and change their minds a lot. What happens if they decide to get a new…person next week?”

“Oh, but Sho says that wasn’t going to happen,” Aiba says earnestly, the joy encased in his grin making Nino’s stomach sink that much more. Aiba lifts up his hand and Nino groans.

“Really? Evervine _already_?” The silvery green vine wrapping around Aiba’s wrist shines in the light, secured in place until death. Its leaves, purple and red, look like bruises on Aiba’s tanned skin. Sho had famously only ever given evervine to Jun, years before Nino came into their lives. Nino knows that this meant both Jun and Sho had accepted Aiba fully, and that there was no way he could ever break their connection.

Nino makes a noise of exasperation.

“Congratulations,” he says unwillingly, but Aiba doesn’t seem to notice Nino’s tone of voice and leans in to kiss his cheek.

“Thank you,” Aiba whispers, pulling Nino in for a hug that makes Nino feel like he’s drowning, overwhelmed.

“I’ll at least give you normal ears,” Nino sighs into Aiba’s shoulder, squeezing his eyes shut. He feels like he’s lost Aiba when he knows he’s never had him at all. Aiba releases a laugh into Nino’s hair, breath hot against his scalp, and Nino squeezes Aiba’s hips in goodbye.

\-----

Ohno’s easier. He’s in Jun’s wardrobe, stretched out over piles of fabric that Jun kept in case he felt like sewing. Nino smiles at the sight; Ohno’s head is resting on something bright pink and glittery and the contrast between his skin and the fabric is pretty.

“Hey,” Nino whispers, crouching next to him and scratching his neck to wake him up.

Ohno wakes up slowly, his movements so small Nino thinks he’s going to be waiting for days. 

“Ah, Nino,” Ohno smiles blearily, finally sitting up. Nino instinctively locks their fingers together.

“Time to go,” Nino whispers into the space between them before he renders it nonexistent by kissing Ohno. 

“Where are we going?” Ohno stretches, his shirt riding up, and Nino pokes his soft belly with their joined hands. 

“Away,” Nino replies, pressing short kisses against Ohno’s jaw. “Jun won’t bother you anymore and we can go find humans to play tricks on for fun.”

Ohno hums a little, the vibration enticing Nino to kiss his throat. “Jun-kun doesn’t bother me though,” he says, a little perplexed, “he’s really nice.”

“He’s also trying to get you into his bed,” Nino noses up the side of Ohno’s neck to find the spot behind Ohno’s earlobe.

“So are you,” Ohno points out mildly, and Nino laughs against Ohno’s skin.

“Does it count if I wasn’t planning on making it into a bed in the first place?” Nino smirks but pulls himself away from Ohno with a sigh. “Though it doesn’t matter, since we need to get out of here first.”

“Okay.” Ohno gets up slowly before pulling Nino to standing. “What are we doing?”

“Jun should be distracted by his present by now. Aiba decided to stay, the idiot,” Nino’s heart hurts a little at having to leave Aiba behind, but he squeezes Ohno’s hand to forget about it. “So we should just be able to walk out. Or fly out. Something like that.”

Ohno nods, and Nino can’t help but smile weakly at the trust on Ohno’s face.

Maybe Nino should have thought this out better.

\-----

Jun looks perplexedly at Hiroki, his left eye twitching at an almost uncontrollable rate.

Hiroki looks back, his hands clasped over himself for as much modesty as he can muster up.

Jun covers his face with a hand and sighs. “ _Nino_.”

Hiroki glances around the room for a moment, then grins uncertainly, his lips curling up like a kitten’s.

Jun puts his hands on Hiroki’s shoulders like a caress and kisses his forehead gently. Hiroki’s skin gleams, then with a pop, Hiroki turns back into a butterfly, his wings flapping furiously.

Jun opens the window and watches Hiroki fly away, his eyes narrowed in a glare. He moves suddenly, robes swirling behind him as he speeds with as much dignity as possible back to his rooms.

Ohno moves slower than Nino would like, but no amount of Nino’s urging and pleading will propel him faster. Nino knows this will be their downfall and it’s proven when Jun turns the corner ahead of him and stands there, arms folded and his nostrils flaring.

“That twitch is probably unhealthy,” Nino says flippantly to Jun when they reach him. Ohno smiles absently at Jun before turning to look curiously at the flower carvings in the wall, fingers mapping the curved lines.

“That twitch means you’re lucky I don’t sentence you to execution,” Jun shoots back. “Like I wasn’t going to see through your trick?”

Nino shrugs and leans backwards against Ohno, who doesn’t seem to notice. “I knew you’d think he was pretty.”

“I was also able to tell immediately that he was a bewitched butterfly,” Jun points out, “so it’s not like I would have enjoyed him.”

“Then you’re smarter than Sho. Anyway, you don’t need Ohno since you both have Aiba now, right?” Nino leans forward to let Ohno move away, following the line of flowers down the hall. “You might as well let him go.”

Nino hopes Jun feels benevolent today, hopes he won’t have to rig a way to escape from a cage and fly away hurriedly from this forest to a new one.

Nino’s really tired of getting locked up and being forced to flee.

“Why would I let him go?” Jun pokes Nino in the arm, robe slipping down to reveal one shoulder. Jun is pale but there are moles starring his skin and Nino tries desperately not to stare.

“Because you have two men in your life already and you should be playing bedroom circus with them before picking up any more,” Nino replies, and he shoves his hands in his pockets. He rolls a marble into each of his hands, reassured by the familiar shape.

“It’s always more fun with more,” Jun hums. Ohno is halfway down the hall, far enough away that he can’t hear Jun’s quiet voice.

“I don’t know why you always ran, Nino,” Jun continues and the whisper in his voice makes Nino suppress a shiver. “You never had to run.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Nino says bravely, squeezing the marbles in his pockets so tightly he can feel the metal against his bone. “I don’t run, especially not from you, Jun.”

Jun doesn’t take offense to the lack of title, just places his hands on Nino’s forearms and leans in so his breath brushes against Nino’s ear. “You can join us. You can have Aiba and Ohno together, and maybe me and Sho, too.”

Nino jerks away, heart pounding. “No thanks,” he spits out, though as he speaks his heart is screaming curses at him.

Jun _laughs_ , not even bothering to cover his mouth as he rests a hand on the wall for balance. “Nino,” he says when he catches his breath, “Nino, I know you think you have one over us, but you don’t. We know what you feel, we know what you want. You can’t lie to me, even though you think you can.”

Nino glances back at Ohno, who is crouching at the end of the hall, frowning at the design in the wall. He’s too far to grab and run, and anyway Jun would never let it happen. Nino is powerful, but Jun is the Queen.

“If I stay,” Nino begins, then shakes his head. “If _we_ stay, you’ll let me be with both Ohno and Aiba?” He snorts, turning away from Jun. “I know the answer to that. You’re not the most level-headed of people and you can stop pretending you are.”

He doesn’t see Jun roll his eyes, but he lets out a shout when Jun yanks him close and crushes their mouths together. Nino lets Jun push him against a wall, unresisting as Jun writes his initials on the roof of Nino’s mouth with his tongue.

“If you think we let you in because of your magic,” Jun says lowly when he breaks away, “you’re wrong.”

“You’re both perverts,” Nino wishes there was more bite to his voice, but he’s breathing hard and he misses Jun’s mouth.

“We never said we weren’t.” Jun releases Nino to smile at Ohno, who has made his way back up to them.

“The flowers on the wall look like that,” Ohno murmurs as though he hadn’t been watching them, and points to the evervine on Jun’s wrist.

“Yes, they do,” Jun agrees, “just like this one.” He lifts up Nino’s wrist, the new evervine there still lengthening up his arm.

Nino groans and lets his head fall back against the wall. “You tricked me.”

Jun grins, his eyeteeth bared, expression pleased. “Never doubt your Queen. It wouldn’t have grown if you hadn’t agreed to this deal, either.”

Nino gropes for Ohno’s hand. “I’m still only staying if he gets it, too.”

Ohno blinks, and with his free hand, lifts up his right sleeve. “But you gave it to me when you came to get me earlier today.”

Nino’s eyes widen and his mouth makes shapes as he struggles to find the words. “I was thinking about it,” he says slowly, “but you never said anything.”

“I didn’t think I had to.” Ohno kisses Nino’s cheek gently, and Nino feels like he wants to cry. Instead he lets out a long breath, then pushes off from the wall.

“Well, I guess it’s time for a celebratory orgy. Drinks on the monarchy,” Nino adds, and starts to tug Ohno down the hall. 

Jun watches them go, fingers dancing up the evervine wrapping from wrist to forearm. He writes a message in the air with his forefinger – ‘mission accomplished’ – and watches as the letters dissolve in midair.

On the other side of the palace, Sho kisses Aiba’s cheek and tells the servants to prepare more cushions.


End file.
